Place Name
Named after the Battle of Colenso which was fought between British and Boer forces in Natal, South Africa on December 15, 1899. It was the third and final battle fought during the so-called Black Week of the Second Boer War which ran between October 11, 1899 and May 31, 1902. Inadequate preparation, poor reconnaissance and uninspired leadership led to a British defeat. The British, under General Sir Redvers Buller, Commander-in-Chief of all British forces in South Africa, suffered heavy loses. Four soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross, including the Lieutenant the Honourable Frederick Roberts, the son of Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who suffered fatal wounds as he and others attempted to recover their big guns. The street is one of a quartet remembering the Second Boer War, namely: Ladysmith Avenue, Colenso Road, Kimberley Avenue and Mafeking Avenue.
